Tit For Tat

His Family (9)

Chapter 9

“So you are here huh?”

Evan turned around, already dreading the following few minutes. He had not seen these guys for a while now, except for Chad. His snobby pain-in-the-ass cousins. Around him, the usual activities of a funeral were happening, people chattering, some sobbing, eating, drinking and talking some more. It was pretty normal except for the fact that the people around him knew what was about to happen now. He thought that these adults here actually enjoyed knowing that he was being bullied.

He had tried his best to stay out of sight, but these guys in front of him were better at targeting him and they had more people at their side. His eyes traveled from the tallest to the shortest of the group, the latter still being taller than him, all dressed in formal mourning attire. Thomas, Chad, Mike, Steve and Jerry, his blood-related cousins.

He couldn’t help but take a step back. Behind him was the garden wall of the Morris mansion, one of the oldest buildings in the area. And also the most extravagant. It was safe to say that he hated here too, where everything happened according to rules. And not to mention trapped at the moment.

“Why did you come here anyway? Did you think that Grandma would have left anything for you?” asked Thomas, Aunt Lisa’s son.

“We got our share though,” said Mike, a sneer on his pale face. “Bet you didn’t.”

“Why would he even get some? He’s their kid, even though he had Morris blood in him.”

“Man I feel sick when I remember that I’m related to the likes of him.”

Evan gritted his teeth, remembering the promise he had made today morning. If he lost his temper today, he was not going to talk to Rose again. It was a strong vow and somehow, he was going to keep by it. Shoving his fists inside his pockets, he silently stood there, taking in every insult they gave him. It had always been like this since he could remember. Always. There was no pity for him. Not that he wanted any from the brainless people here.

“By the way, I saw this midget with a girl yesterday,” informed Chad in a superior voice to the eldest of their group, Thomas.

“Really?” sneered Thomas while the others hooted. “How was she?” He took a menacing step towards Evan and he stepped back, his mind filling with memories of how he was secretly beaten up, punched and kicked.

“Too innocent. I was thinking of getting a piece of her,” said Chad. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to Evan and asked, “Is she taken already?”

Evan closed his eyes. They were just trying to provoke him. They just wanted a reason to hit him. They wanted to humiliate him but he wasn’t going to give any opportunity. Calm down. Think of something else.

His mind desperately latched on the other thing which had been in his mind throughout this miserable day. Rose.

Think about her. Think about how soft she is, how nice it feels to touch her hair, to talk to her, to see her worried eyes, just for you. To know that I was the only one to dare touch her as I did, to—

“Hey are you listening?”

He groaned silently. Act as if you didn’t hear.

“Maybe he’ll continue to act dumb through the whole day?”

“Or he must be too scared. Poooor boy.”

“Run to your Mommy. Oh wait, he doesn’t have one,” laughed Jerry, the youngest yet vicious as the rest.

“A real one technically. He’s adopted,” said Steve in a sing-song voice. A horrid laugh followed his comment and all them looked to see who it was. And then approached one person he hated the most in this family, Aunt Lisa. Although it was her mother’s funeral today there wasn’t any trace of sadness in her eyes. In fact, she had a gleeful sneer on her face which had everything to do with Evan.

He badly wanted to get away. It could only get worst from now.

“So I see you were forced to come?” she asked stopping in front of him, next to her son. The spectators around them twisted a bit more in their chairs to watch this play.

He nodded; knowing that staying silent would be taken as a sign of disrespect.

“Look how ungrateful you are. My brother and his wife kindly took you in and what are you doing?” she said spitefully. “Looking at me with that arrogant look in your eyes! Like father like son!”

She spat. He didn’t flinch.

“I always knew that he was a bad egg…I wouldn’t expect any more from you.”

His cousins were laughing. Evan was having a hard time controlling his temper. His blood was boiling, his breathing harsh as he stared at her, anger radiating from every pore making his eyes hard green shards. But he didn’t move. If he even twitched, he was sure that he will lose control and hit her.

Control. That’s all. Take deep breaths. Focus on the sun, the breeze. Rose. Her smile. He tried to follow his instructions, not wanting to focus on how the people were whispering among themselves, or the way Aunt Lisa was expecting an answer from him.  Think nothing. You can’t see this old hag.

And thank god, his adopted parents came to the rescue.

“Why is this happening again?” asked his mother, fighting through the small crowd to him. She came up to him and gripped his hand in her warm one. He suddenly realized that his skin was cold.

“Didn’t I ask you to be civil to him Lisa?” asked his father, coming to stand in front of him. Aunt Lisa just waved her arm dismissively at them and said scathingly, “You two are fools to take care of him. He should be thrown to the streets.”

She walked away, taking the crowd with her. They had seen what they wanted. Now he could go home.

“Son, are you okay?” asked his father, turning to him, his voice dropping slightly. He nodded and gave a smirk.

“I’m fine. This happens all the time Dad, you don’t have to worry.”

Giving him another worried glance, they got ready to leave. He didn’t stay around, just ran to their car and waited for his parents to come. As he sat there, he ripped the mourning armband around his arm in a fit of anger. It was too much to him now. He didn’t want to stand any of those stared any longer. Whenever he closed his eyes, he felt eyes all over the place, staring at him accusingly. By the time they got home, he had a raging headache.

“I’m going to bed,” he told his parents who had that worried look he hated so much. It made him feel really guilty.

Taking a shower to get rid of all the events today, he collapsed into bed and fell asleep immediately; tired from the stress he went through. But before that, he heard his mother’s sobs from downstairs, his father’s comforting words as they too tried to cope with what he was.

He didn’t want to sit around and let those people in his so-called family do what they want. It was hurting his parents and him both. They just can’t go dictating others’ lives, assuming things. He wanted to do something. He wanted to get back on them. Sometimes, when his rage was too much, he even fancied killing them, wondering how he was going to torture them.

He groaned into his pillow, his wet hair cooling the back of his neck.

He was a mess.